Horace, on reaching London, had taken a house on Berkly Square. Old Mr.
and Mrs. Barton having died some two years previous, as already stated,
and the Willows in Devonshire had been let. He found his sister, Mrs.
Ashburnham, still living on Cavendish Square, and Emily residing with
her aunt in Harley street. Tom and his bride were still travelling on
the Continent. Mr. and Mrs. Barton therefore determined to remain in
town until the lease, for which the country seat had been let, should
expire, which would take place about the month of August in the
following year; and thus it was that the people of Vellenaux knew
nothing of their return to England. Fond of gaiety and fashionable life,
Mrs. Barton determined to make up for time lost during their sojourn in
the Goozeratte, by being very gay, attending balls, parties and operas,
and not unfrequently giving stylish entertainments at her house at
Berkly Square, in all of which Edith participated, as her kind friend
would go no where and do nothing without her, and thus she passed her
first season in London. In the spring of the year she received the
welcome intelligence that Arthur had been promoted to a troop, and that
if he could manage to obtain leave of absence, he would be in England
early in summer to claim his bride.
"Well, my dear," said Mrs. Barton, a few days subsequent to the receipt
of the letter, "Horace, dear old fellow, has arranged everything nicely
for you. He has still some interest with the authorities. He has been to
the India office. Arthur is to have eighteen months leave of absence,
and before the expiration of that time his regiment will be ordered
home; so you see, my dear, we shall be able to see a great deal of each
other. After you are married you will, of course, remain with us until
it is time for Arthur to rejoin his regiment." Edith felt very grateful
to her kind friends for all they had done to further her happiness, and
looked forward to the time when she should meet her affianced husband
with intense satisfaction and delight. She would not now be called upon
to return to India, to which country she had a strong aversion; and well
she might, for her residence there, with the exception of her episodes
of pleasure derived from the society of Arthur, had indeed been very
trying.
It was summer, bright, glorious, balmy summer. The birds sang and
chirped among the green leaves, and wood pigeons cooed in the hollow
trunks of the trees, beneath whose outspreading branches, little
four-footed creatures gamboled and made merry among the soft feathery
grasses that grew in the fine old beech woods of Devon. It was pleasant
to listen to the cool, gurgling sound of the brawling brook, whose
bright waters skipped, danced and glittered, as they forced their way
over the pebbles and other impediments in their serpentine course along
the shady dell that skirted the Home Park, wherein, under the venerable
oaks, the red and fallow deer rested, dreamily sniffing the delicious
fragrance that pervaded the air, borne upon the light summer wind from
the rich parterre which stretched the entire length of the south wing at
Vellenaux.
In a large octagon-shaped apartment that had been fitted up as a
library, the most pleasing feature of which was its Southern aspect,
were seated _tete a tete_ two personages, who figured somewhat
conspicuously in the early part of our story, these were Mrs. Fraudhurst
and Sir Ralph Coleman. They had met here at the request of the Baronet,
for Sir Ralph and the widow rarely met except by appointment or at the
dinner table.
Time had dealt kindly with the lady, and what was deficient by nature
was supplied by art, for she was one of those who always paid the most
scrupulous attention to their toilette. If we were to describe her as
fat, fair, and forty, we should certainly wrong her. Fair and forty she
undoubtedly was, but fat she certainly was not. There was a slight
tendency to embonpoint, but this was relieved by her tall and not
ungraceful figure. She was what might be termed a decidedly handsome
woman. The corpulent lawyer had subsided into the sleek,
well-conditioned country gentleman. But there was at times a certain
restlessness of the eye, and a nervous twitching at the corners of the
mouth, which, to a keen observer, would indicate that he was not always
the quiet, self-possessed person that he would have his neighbors to
believe. The business on which they had met had been interrupted by the
entrance of a servant with a note to Sir Ralph, but, on his leaving the
room, the conversation was resumed by Mrs. Fraudhurst saying:
"I would much rather, Sir Ralph, that this subject be now discontinued,
and never again reverted to. The papers to which you allude are
perfectly safe in my hands, and I do not see that any good could accrue
by my transferring them to you, certainly none to myself, and it might
militate against me; for the great anxiety you evince to get possession
of the documents leads me to believe that you have some particular
object in view, something which does not appear or, the surface, and
which you desire should not come to my knowledge."
"But, my dear madam, you surely do not imagine that I have any other
motive in requesting you to hand over to my safe keeping the deed in
question than a natural desire to be quite certain that our mutual
interests should not be imperilled by any accidental circumstance that
might disclose the existence of any such document."
The lady looked steadily at him for a few seconds, then in a clear
distinct, and deliberate tone, said, "For the last seven years the will
of the late Baronet has been in my possession, during which, time you,
Sir Ralph, have made frequent attempts to obtain it from me, sometimes
on one pretence, then on another. Were I to agree to your request, what
security have I that you, who have acted so vile a part against Miss
Effingham, would not act as treacherously towards me, were I once in
your power? While I possess that document, I hold my position here, and
can thus keep you at bay. And think you that I will thus surrender my
advantage to please the idle fancy of a man who would not hesitate to
stoop to perform any act however dastardly, so that he could effectually
escape the penalty of a crime he was ready to profit by, but cowardly
enough to shrink from the consequences it entailed? You say that our
interest in this affair is mutual,--it is not so, and you know it. You
gain nineteen thousand a year, I only one. Again, should the will by any
mischance be found in my possession, who would believe my statement
that you were a party concerned in the abstraction of the said deed, you
would deny all knowledge of the transaction and my unsupported evidence
could not commit you. Of course you would lose the estate; but what
would my condition be then. No! I have everything at stake--you,
comparatively nothing. I will not accede to so absurd a proposition."
There was a short pause, the widow resumed her embroidery with an air of
apparent indifference. The baronet sat abstractedly gazing out of the
window, evidently turning over something in his mind. As she had stated
he had tried to wheedle her out of the papers, but she had hitherto, by
great tact, adroitly managed to shift the conversation to some other
subject, in a quiet and playful manner. He was therefore not prepared
for this vehement outburst; she had not only refused to comply with his
demand, but taunted him with stinging words for his pusillanimous
conduct. He knew her great ambition, and that the sole object of her
life was to become mistress of Vellenaux, and to gain this she would
risk everything. It was her weak point, the only vulnerable part he
could attack with any hope of success. He had for months pondered over
this; it had this advantage, it is true, he thought a marriage would
secure him in the possession of both the will and her silence; but then
he hated her with a cordial hate. He had been for years in her power.
During her residence at Vellenaux she had every want supplied, and was
safe in her position. With the only evidence of the fraud that had been
practiced in her own keeping; she had outwitted him and had in reality
obtained the best of the bargain. The knowledge of this cut him to the
quick and he detested her in consequence.
Yet his only chance of obtaining that which he so coveted was by an
offer of marriage, not that he intended to fulfil any such promise,
quite the reverse, it would be a lie, a villainous deception, but had he
not willingly defrauded Miss Effingham out of her property? and what was
one lie, more or less, it would be but diamond cut diamond, and turning
the tables on Mrs. Fraudhurst. All these thoughts flashed through his
mind as he sat gazing out upon the sunny landscape below him, if it must
be done, as well now as at any other time, perhaps better. He at length
arose, and after taking two or three turns up and down the apartment in
order to nerve himself for action, stopped beside the chair of the fair
widow.
"Eleanor," said he, laying his hand on her arm. She looked up quickly,
for he had never before so addressed her. "Eleanor, you are unjust to me
and to yourself, ask yourself have I ever deceived or broken faith with
you since our compact after Sir Jasper's death, and the answer must be
in my favor. You may say that I have acted coldly and kept aloof from
you: this I grant is true, but it has been forced upon me; I felt that
the eyes of the world were upon us, watching our actions. Your constant
residence here has been talked of and cavelled at by some of the
neighboring families, who have not recovered from the surprise they felt
on hearing that Sir Jasper had died intestate and left his orphan niece
unprovided for. It was to prevent exposure that I have thus acted
towards you, and I believe that I have effectually succeeded, and now I
acknowledge that the charm of your society has become almost
indispensable to me, and I will no longer be held back by the world's
opinion. Listen to my proposal, accept it or reject it as you will, I
make it with all sincerity. Place the will of the late baronet in my
hands, and before this day month you shall be my wife and mistress of
the the manor."
"And should I survive you," she said, "Vellenaux and its broad lands--"
"Reverts to Miss Effingham on condition that she allows you five
thousand per annum and a suite of apartments in the west wing, during
the remainder of your life, which you can have fitted up to suit your
taste and convenience without delay, in case the contingency you mention
should arise sooner than I anticipate."
"And this you swear to fulfil to the letter," she replied, advancing
nearer and fixing her eyes upon him as if to read his inmost thoughts.
"On the day after our marriage I will cause a will to be drawn to that
effect, this I swear to do by the honor of knighthood."
Her countenance lit up and there was a sparkling brilliancy in her large
black eyes as she said, "I believe you--wait a few seconds and I will
prove that I do." She then quitted the room, but did not keep him long
in suspense; on re-entering she placed the parchment in his hands,
saying as she did so, "Remember I now trust you, but beware how you
betray that trust."
He opened the document and glanced over it, to satisfy himself of its
authenticity; his legal experience enabled him to decide at once that it
was genuine. "Eleanor." he then said, taking her hand, "our interests
are now identical, we cannot now but act in concert," and raising her
hand to his lips, he bowed courteously to her and left the room by one
door, while she passed out at another.
"I have carried my point, thought Sir Ralph as he entered his study, and
before this day month I shall have sank both name and title, and be an
alien from my native land."
"I have carried my point at last," exclaimed Mrs. Fraudhurst, as the
door of her dressing room closed behind her; "before this day month I
shall be Lady Coleman and mistress of Vellenaux."
It was late that night ere Sir Ralph retired to rest; before he did so
he had determined on his future career. For years he had striven to
wrest this document from the widow and now with it in his possession, he
lost no time in putting into execution the plans he had for so long a
time been maturing. This was to proceed without delay to London, raise
as large a sum as possible by mortgaging the Vellenaux property to its
fullest extent, then retire to the continent and spend the remainder of
his days in foreign travel, halting from time to time at the different
cities he had visited during the first years of his married life. For in
this mode of living he felt he would be more secure than he could ever
hope to be in England during the life of Mrs. Fraudhurst. It is true
that he could, by fulfiling his promise of marrying the widow, have
sheltered himself from the consequences that might arise should his
share of the concealment of the will ever appear, but he could escape
this alternative by pursuing the course he had marked out for himself.
He was aware that a desperate and revengeful woman like Mrs. Fraudhurst
would leave no stone unturned to bring about the ruin of the man who had
thus deceived and tricked her; but the old lawyer knew that she was
almost powerless to act against him with any chance of success, as the
only two persons interested in the matter were, to the best of his
belief, in India, and likely to remain there for some years at least,
and the only real proof that a will had been made by the late Sir Jasper
Coleman, was now in his possession, viz: the will itself, and her
unsupported testimony would not be taken as evidence in any court of
law; besides, in the transaction she was in the eyes of the law the more
culpable of the two, being the chief instigator of the plot, therefore
it was in a more complacent frame of mind that Sir Ralph, early the
following morning, ere the self-satisfied widow had awakened from those
slumbers that had been during the night partially and pleasantly
disturbed by means of her coming greatness as the wife of a Baronet and
the Lady of Vellenaux, had driven over to Switchem and taken his seat in
the up train for Southampton, in order to consult with the lawyer who
had the management of his estate. After effecting this he started for
London.
He was not naturally a bad man at heart, and had he not been legal heir
to the baronetcy he would never have entered into the conspiracy to
deprive the rightful owner of the property. He had always been of the
opinion that the late Baronet would make a will leaving the principal
portion of his property to his niece, but fancied that he would come in
for a couple of thousand a year, to enable him to support the title; but
finding that his name did not appear in the will, he felt both
disappointed and annoyed beyond measure, and quite ready to acquiesce in
the proposal made him by the intriguing ex-governess.
It was not his wish or intention from the first that the will should be
destroyed, and he had certain scruples of conscience which now
prevented his so doing. During his journey by train he argued the
subject mentally. "They are both young," he thought, his mind reverting
to Miss Effingham and Arthur Carlton, "and will, in all probability,
survive me many years; let them buffet the waves of fortune in their
youth, as I have done, they will then better appreciate their accession
to fortune than they probably would have done, had they come into it at
an earlier stage of their life; besides, who has a better right, during
his lifetime, to enjoy the estate, than the heir to the title. The will
must, of necessity, be found among my papers after my decease, so all
will come right in the end," and with this consoling plea he settled
himself snugly among the cushions of the first-class carriage of the
train that was now leaving Southampton far behind, on its upward course
to London, and soon fell into a doze.
In another carriage were seated two gentlemen conversing in a very
lively and animated strain, and were apparently much interested with
scenery, farm houses, and well trimmed hedges, as the train whirled
past. They were not foreigners by any means, decidedly English in every
look and action; about eight and twenty and thirty, respectively, and
very good looking; the tallest was decidedly handsome; he was dressed in
grey tweed of fine texture. They had entered the carriage at
Southampton. A man of the world would have pat them down, from their
general appearance and the well-bronzed hue of their features, as either
belonging to, or having served in, the military or naval service of
their country; and he would not have been wrong, for they were none
other than Captain Carlton and Assistant-Surgeon Draycott, of H.M. Light
Dragoons, just arrived from India on furlough.
"We are going along at racing speed," said Draycott to his companion,
"but it will hardly keep pace with your impatience to reach London. Gad,
I envy you the possession of so fair a bride. I remember the first time
I met her at Calcutta. I thought her the most loveable girl I had ever
seen; but what chance had a poor devil of an Assistant-Surgeon, only
just arrived in the country, surrounded, as she was, by a set of fellows
old enough to be her father, it is true, but with rupees enough to
freight a Pattima? I suppose that ride through the Goozeratte did the
business for you? She is just the girl to admire that sort of thing."
A suitable reply rose to Arthur's lips, but very different words escaped
him.
"What the devil is that? A collision, by thunder!" exclaimed he, as he
picked himself up from the opposite seat on which he had been thrown by
the violence of the shock. The door, fortunately, had been forced open
by the concussion. Our two travellers jumped out on to the track. Here a
scene of confusion met their view. They had run into a freight train
which was coming from an opposite direction. Women and children were
shrieking for help, mingled with the cries of those injured, with the
loud shouts and vociferations of the employees, and those engaged in
clearing the wreck and getting things into trim again; although a number
were hurt, some slightly, others more seriously, there were none
reported actually killed; and a great number of the passengers were more
frightened than hurt.
"This way," said an official to some four or five men, who were carrying
a gentleman that appeared to be more seriously injured than any of the
rest. "Lay him down softly on that grassy bank;" then raising his voice
called out, "Is there any medhal man at hand?"
"Here, Draycott, although on leave you must come to the rescue. Horrid
bore to be thus detained, is it not," said Arthur, as they hastened to
the spot.
"Fall back there, men, fall back; give the gentleman more air, and let
the doctor pass." At the decided and authoritative tone of Carlton's
voice the crowd, who by this time had gathered around the sufferer, gave
way. The surgeon went to work immediately and examined the unfortunate
man thoroughly. "Bad case," he said in a whisper to Carlton. "Broken
thigh bone, ribs crushed, and something worse internally, I am afraid."
At this moment Carlton got a good look at the features of the injured
man. "Can it be possible! Yes, it is Sir Ralph Coleman!" At the mention
of his name the Baronet opened his eyes and, for a second or two, looked
fully at the speaker, then said with a great effort, for pain had
hitherto kept him silent:
"Yes, Arthur Carlton, it is I. How came you here? Do not leave me." And
here Sir Ralph fainted from loss of blood.
"Is there a public house or farm near?" enquired Carlton.
"Yes," replied one of the bystanders, "there is farmer Wheatley's just
down there in the hollow; they will do what they can for the poor
gentleman."
"I will pay the men well that will carry him there," said Carlton,
addressing a number of farmers' men, who had by this time come up. The
rank of the injured man, and the offer of payment, had a wonderful
effect. A dozen volunteered, at once. A gate was taken off its hinges,
and some of the cushions of the injured carriage placed upon this litter
and, under the direction of Doctor Draycott, Sir Ralph was conveyed to
the farm house in the hollow.
"You seemed to be well acquainted with my patient," said Draycott.
"Oh, yes. He is Sir Ralph Coleman, of Vellenaux. He succeeded to the
title and estate on the death of Sir Jasper, Miss Effingham's uncle, by
which she was left almost penniless. You have heard her history, I
suppose, in India. These things always leak out somehow or other in the
service."
"In that case, my dear fellow, I must go no further than the door with
you. To the best of my belief he will not live more than eight hours,
and I must have other opinion and advice in his case. I think it would
be as well to have the clergyman and a lawyer without loss of time. He
may have something of importance to communicate to you or Miss Effingham
ere he dies, for I have some indistinct notion that I have heard
something very unfavorable spoken about the said Baronet, now I hear the
name again. Let him be got to bed as soon as possible. What is the name
of your nearest town, and the distance to it?" enquired Draycott of the
farmer.
"Fallowfield is about two miles from here, sir. There is a good road and
no one could miss it," was the reply.
"Let me have a horse and I will go myself and get what I require;
Captain Carlton will remain until I return," and the young surgeon was
soon on his way at a hand gallop. In the meantime the good people of the
farm were doing all in their power to render the sufferings of their
wounded guest as little painful as possible; and every attention was
shown him. He spoke but little; but several times asked for Carlton, and
on seeing him only repeated, "Do not leave me yet, Arthur, I may have
something to say concerning you and Miss Effingham."
In less time than could have been expected, Draycott returned,
accompanied by the best surgeon in Fallowfield, the rector, and a lawyer
of good standing in that town. Again the patient was examined, after
which a consultation was held in the farmer's parlour, which lasted
about a quarter of an hour; the medical men then returned to the
bed-chamber.
The Baronet scrutinized their features narrowly as they re-entered the
room. "Oh!" said he, breathing with intense difficulty, "I see there is
no hope for me; but tell me frankly, how long is it your opinion that I
can live?"
"Doctor Draycott and myself," replied the surgeon from Fallowfield--who
being much the senior took the lead--"deem it expedient that you should
send for your man of business as soon as possible," thus evading the
direct question.
Ralph passed his hand across his brow and remained silent a few moments.
"You may do so, but it is too late I am afraid. Get the nearest lawyer
you can, but be quick for my strength is failing fast, and send Captain
Carlton to me at once."
"Arthur," he continued, as the young man advanced, "I have deeply
wronged Edith and yourself: in the breast pocket of that coat yonder is
a paper packet, bring it to me." Arthur obeyed and placed it on the
counterpane. Ralph laid his hand upon it and said, "There is yet time
to make restitution. This is the will of the late Sir Jasper Coleman,
stolen from his desk on the morning of his death. Has the lawyer sent
for yet arrived? If so, I will give my deposition on oath, ere it is too
late: I am not a principal, but an accessory. After the fact--" Here Sir
Ralph fell back on the pillow, and remained motionless several minutes,
during which time the rector and lawyer had been summoned from the
parlor below. The rector being a magistrate undertook to put a few
questions to the dying man before he gave, his testimony. When
sufficiently recovered to speak, the baronet, in a husky voice, related
the whole of his interview with Mrs. Fraudhurst, her production of the
will and the compact entered into between them. The document was sworn
to, signed and duly witnessed by those present.
"Arthur give this will into the hands of Miss Effingham, or her legal
adviser, and obtain her forgiveness for me." This the gallant soldier
faithfully promised to do. The room was then cleared of all except the
rector and the dying baronet. He lingered until sometime after midnight,
and ere the light of another day dawned, his spirit had passed away, and
the baronetcy became extinct.
During the following day Mr. Russell, the agent, arrived, and Arthur, in
the name of Miss Effingham, authorized him to settle all claims, and
have the body of the late Sir Ralph conveyed to Vellenaux for interment.
Having thus arranged matters, Captain Carlton and his friend Draycott
started by the next train for London.